Spider-Man 3Watch: The birth of Sandman. When: 27:12-30:11 Reference Quality Assurance: There were lots of problems with the third film in the Spider-Man franchise, but none of them had to do with the quality of the special effects. From a technical standpoint, when it comes to HD, Spidey 3 is the best-looking and best-sounding of the three films. It's hard not to be impressed by the CGI at work in the scene where Flint Marko first emerges from a construction pit as the super-powered villain known as Sandman.

Blu-ray can be unforgiving when it comes to cheap CGI, but this sequence features some of the best digital effects we've seen in high-def. Falling rocks turn to softly undulating waves, which converge into a human figure, then fall away again. You can practically count the grains of sand and feel Marko's struggle to literally pull himself together. Ignore the rest of the film if you like, but it's worth owning the Blu-ray for this scene alone.

Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 1Watch: Vintage Shatner and the crew of the Enterprise beam on down to a planet that is far from Styrofoam rocks and cardboard floors. When: Disc 1, "Where No Man Has Gone Before," 8:10-11:05 & 29:30-32:30 Reference Quality Assurance:Trek has been hit-or-miss on the home entertainment front, at least until Paramount released the original series' first season on glorious Blu.

Sure, the production values and all-too-shiny stage make-up say "1960s," but the attention to detail and grain reduction on the set is top notch. Any disc looks spectacular, we promise, but true home entertainment snobs should press "play" on the episode "Where No Man Has Gone Before." In the series' second pilot, Blu enthusiasts should check out the scene when Kirk and the landing party beam on down to a planet's surface. Digital matte paintings plus 40-year-old cinematography were meant to be together. You can also check out the Enterprise taking on a space storm at the edge of the galaxy at the beginning of the episode, or the re-mastered opening titles or – you know what? Less reading and more watching all things Season One. You'll thank us later. Promise.

The first, and best, torn-shirt Kirk.

TransformersWatch: The ultimate showdown between Optimus Prime and Megatron. When: 1:60:00-2:01:14 Reference Quality Assurance: Say what you will about Michael Bay, the man knows how to put together some high-octane action scenes for the big screen. The urban knock-down, drag-out clash between the Autobots and the Decepticons near the end of Transformers has everything you want in an action sequence, and the highlight of that battle is the face off between Optimus Prime and Megatron.

The shiny metallic CGI robots blend almost seamlessly into their environments, demonstrating how smooth digital effects can look in HD. Rich, vibrant colors and solid contrast add to the wow factor here. And as for the sound, just make sure you bolt down your furniture and everyday household items. With huge explosions, booming mechanical voices and amazing 360-degree, Dolby TrueHD 5.1 surround audio, these Transformers will punch, kick and shoot their way through your living room, leaving a path of sonic destruction in their wake.

WALL.EWatch: WALL.E's mundane day-to-day grind is broken up by the arrival of a massive spaceship which deposits a sleek probe called EVE... It's love at first sight. When: 12:30-18:00 Reference Quality Assurance:WALL.E is kind of a dream project for fans of Pixar in that it's set in space and provides the maximum opportunity for CG eye-candy. The movie, as you might expect, looks and sounds incredible on Blu-ray -- it is simply stunning. And that's especially true during the moments when EVE first arrives on the scene.

It's a visual and aural treat to watch as EVE's ship initially touches down on Earth. WALL.E's world is shaken, and so is your living room if you're playing the Blu-ray on a system that takes advantage of the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. Every frame of theses scenes are incredibly detailed - you can nearly make out individual grains of sand that get blown around during the sandstorm. The whole thing is brilliantly imaged, and the very nature of the CG animation makes this as good as Blu-ray possibly get.

X-Men: The Last StandWatch: Magneto and his army of evil mutants cause havoc on the Golden Gate Bridge. When: 01:13:34-1:16:41 Reference Quality Assurance: When Brett Ratner took over the X-Men franchise from Bryan Singer, we knew it was bound to go a little over the top. But no one could have anticipated the audacity of a scene in which Magneto actually moves the Golden Gate bridge to Alcatraz Island and leads a mutant siege on Worthington Labs?

The two previous X-Men films may be better overall, but the audio and video quality of the third can't be matched.

The rich, intense color palette looks absolutely luscious in HD. Focus is crisp and the contrast covers a wide range, from the dark, black leather of the mutant's costumes to the bright white of the clouds in the sky as the bridge comes apart. The line between live-action and CGI is expertly blurred, and holds up well, even under the increased scrutiny of Blu-ray. The lossless DTS-HD soundtrack also puts you right in the middle of the action, balancing the dramatic score with the sound of creaking metal and the only bit of dialogue in the scene – Magneto's quip: "Charles always wanted to build bridges."